Osama Khan languishing in Azamgarh jail for two years over CAA protest

New Delhi, 03 Mar 2022 [Fik/News Sources]: 42-year-old Osama Khan is languishing in jail for the past two years. He was taken into police custody in March 2020 in connection with an anti-CAA protest in Azamgarh’s Bilariaganj area. 

Almost 19 others including local Islamic scholar Maulana Tahir Madani were also arrested in the same case. They all were granted bail within four months. But unfortunately, Khan has failed to secure bail for himself in the past 24 months.

His bail petitions were rejected twice by the lower court. He has now moved the Allahabad High Court.

Khan and other co-accused were booked under 19 sections of the IPC including 124-A (sedition), 153-A (promoting enmity), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 186 (obstructing public servant).

Khan is a farmer. His younger brother Hassan says that he was like a guardian to everyone in his family. In his absence, the family is going through various difficulties.

Expressing his concern over prolonged incarceration of Khan, local activist Zakir Hussain said that denial of bail to him is extremely worrying.

“It is surprising that the main accused in the case, Maulana Tahir Madani, has been granted bail but Osama, who is not the main accused, is being denied bail,” Hussain added.

He further appealed to NGOs and civil society organisations to extend their support to Khan, so that he can come out of the jail.